The creatures that populate Jessica Joslin’s world are intricate fusions of bone, brass, antique hardware and other scavenged treasures. Infused with the Victorian era’s passion for natural history and arcane technology, these creatures reflect both the real and the imagined animal, the living and the dead.

Inspired by the beauty of skeletal architecture, and a passion for assemblage sculpture, Jessica Joslin began building her bestiary of mechanical animals in 1992. Her collection of creatures includes a myriad of different species and hybrids, and numbers over 200 sculptures in total. With a extensive background in the professional trades, Joslin honed her fabrication skills building toy prototypes, architectural models, trade show displays, photo props, and film sets.

«Science was my first great love. I was a nerdy kid, always content with my nose buried in a book and always wanting to learn obscure details about what I saw around me. That tendency dovetailed perfectly with the sensibility of the grand old museums in the area, which were Wunderkammers and havens of taxonomy. At the natural history museums at Harvard, with their Victorian-era passion for collecting and labeling, I discovered the animal kingdom…magnificent, inscrutable, magical and…dead. The taxidermy animals that I saw were far more fascinating than any animals that I could see in “real life.” In fact, I couldn’t see wild animals at all. I was extremely near-sighted, but didn’t realize it for years. I assumed that everyone saw like I did- and as long as I could read my books, there was no problem. Anyway, my early passion for collecting was spurred by those museums, and in part, my fascination with taxidermy specimens was because I could actually see them. I didn’t understand the excitement of seeing a bird flying through the sky, not until many years later. At home, we started our own cabinet of curiosities, beginning with exotic seedpods from the Arnold Arboretum, and shells, bones and crab claws found at the beach. It grew to include a huge variety of natural objects, and it turned our family vacations into one big treasure hunt. To this day, when I’m walking through the woods, my eyes are always on the ground, searching for treasures and from time to time, I still flitch treasures from the family nature collection to use in my sculptures…»

«I had been making mixed-media sculptures, which incorporated bones, seedpods, and other natural objects with man-made found objects (especially parts from very old cash registers, adding machines and medical equipment). One day, I found, by chance, a bag of exquisite taxidermied bird parts, used for millinery c. 1900. That was the beginning of the first of my beasts.»

«Actually, when it comes to animal anatomy, I’m purely an autodidact. Of course, that doesn’t mean that I haven’t done my homework, so to speak! ;) In terms of the work that I do, it’s a finely calibrated trinity of considerations: aesthetic, engineering and anatomical. In terms of the anatomical, yes, with each piece I am referencing specific structures, and usually from the species that I am depicting (although there are exceptions.) However, those bodily structures are often tweaked to compensate for other considerations. Most people don’t notice that, because the overall feel is right. For example, almost all of my creatures have only 3 toes, not 4 or 5. I figure that since it’s my world, I get to make the rules, and I don’t want to spend too much time doing repetitive work. If 3 toes can get the idea of a foot across, and it looks right, then why include more? 3 toes is also better from an engineering standpoint. Since the contact/balance points are along the edges of the feet, more toes wouldn’t necessarily mean more stability. Also, more generally speaking, in my work, I’m always representing interior and exterior anatomy simultaneously. One line of a form might delineate the belly and another, the ribcage. Of course, you wouldn’t typically see both at the same time, so it creates a sort of double vision between the skeletal anatomy and the structure of the living animal. That’s one of the reasons that my work might seem “alive” although it’s mainly based on skeletal forms. It’s not just a skeleton with eyeballs. The lines of the metalwork also suggest the volume of the flesh. I think that mostly seeps in on a subconscious level, but there’s an instinctive response. I don’t think that people would feel such an emotional pull if it was only a skeleton.»

«I have a very strong affinity for animals, and I think that comes across in my work. I take the related ethical and legal matters quite seriously. I will only deal with osteological suppliers whose specimens are legally and ethically obtained. I also use a fair amount of cast replicas in my work (for protected species.) Because of my background as a model maker, I am able to do the molds and casts myself and keep a very tight rein over the quality. The vast majority of viewers (including a few biologists and naturalists) have not been able to tell what is real and what is not.»

Texts from artist's website, from an extensive interview by JL Schnabel published in Hi-Fructose, April 2011 (full text here) and another one by Adam Szrotek & Sylwia Banasiak published in 2006 in Art & Design Magazine (full text here).

His work revolves around a past time, especially during the late 1800’s through the 1940’s, the golden age of the circus and Hollywood, carnival lights, silent films, fashion and glamour; cabarets, dance halls and clubs that existed between the war years in Berlin.

This is an open art blog, so you could find images eventually offensive or umconfortable.

If you're an artist and find here images of your art you want to be removed, just tell me and I'll do it immediately. I try to ask for permission always if artist is alive and there's a way to contact, bot not always is possible and there are things I think worth to be known.

In any case, the copyrights of all the images contained in this blog, except where noted, belong to the artists or the legal owners of such rights, and have been published nonprofit and for the only purpose of make the works known to the general public.

Enjoy "El Hurgador", make any comment you like (respecting artists, other visitors and myself), make suggestions, critics, leave your opinions and make your contributions. Always welcome.